Ole Miss Lands Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders.

Jan 20, 2023 - 4:19 PM

Lane Kiffin shook up what had been a clear-cut situation in the QB room, with a Thursday commitment from Oklahoma State signal caller Spencer Sanders. Sanders was a four-year starter for the Cowboys, passing for 2,642 yards, 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 2022. The senior QB started 10 games, missing games against Kansas and West Virginia while out with injuries. He also skipped the Cowboys’ bowl game.

Sanders has had an interesting career; his QBR and completion percentage have actually declined each successive year, though he never had a “bad” season. Sanders’ best season was in 2021, when he was a first team All-Big 12 selection, passing for 2,839 yards, 20 TDs, and 12 picks, adding 668 yards and 6 TDs on the ground.

Lane Kiffin’s decision to bring him in has puzzled many fans and journalists, this fan/journalist included. One on hand, adding a seasoned starter from a big-time program makes the Ole Miss QB room one of the absolute best in the country. Competition usually brings out the best in players, yadda yadda, you’ve heard all this before. My opinion on the matter is that you should instill confidence in your young star quarterback, and Jaxson Dart absolutely qualifies as such. You also want to develop for the future. Kiffin made waves early this week by landing a commitment from LSU freshman quarterback Walker Howard, another young star in the making. How does (presumably) demoting Howard from second team to third team help in that development? Finally, Ole Miss fans did a great job for a relatively small P5 school in raising a competitive war chest for the NIL bidding wars that have marked this offseason. Why spend money on a guy who ideally carries a clipboard for Jaxson Dart all year?

I don’t mean to waste too many pixels on your screen second-guessing Lane Kiffin, a guy who’s essentially been a football coach since he could drive a car. It’s just a weird situation! However, Sanders does bring a ton of experience, toughness, and competition to the QB room, and creates a lot of intrigue for Spring practices. We’ll break down the two new Rebel quarterbacks in much greater depth in the coming weeks; until then, we’ll keep you updated on the continued roster overhaul going on in Oxford.